Ink & Quill
Ink and Quill is a podcast that discusses works of fiction from various authors. Your hosts Fizz and Dr. Hot-Fizz will delve into various plots, subtexts, and uses of language within the text as well as personal opinion about the author and their work. To join the Ink and Quill fan community, visit http://spookylogistics.com.
Ink & Quill Episode 49: "The Foundation Trilogy"

In this three novels series, Isaac Asimov studies the fate of civilizations in a galaxy far far away…

When the Empire is on the brink of decline and fall, Hari Seldon, the father of psychohistory, the science of mass evolution over milenia, decides to tinker with the fate of humanity by gathering a small groups of scientists on a remote planet called Terminus. He hopes to reduce the Chaos that is to follow the fall of the Empire from 30 000 years to a mere 1 000. Their task is to create the Encyclopedia Galactica. As the years and centuries go by, Seldon remains revered as a God and the fate of humanity remains unchanged, faithful to the outcome Seldon had predicted. Until the Mule! Mutant, born a “freak of nature” with incomparable powers of mind control coming out of nowhere, the Mule decides to take on the universe and keep it for himself.

But there are rumors that Seldon created a Second Foundation somewhere else in the universe. Did he think the first one could fail? Was he covering his tracks or simply setting the Second Foundation for a totally different purpose? The Second Foundationers seem to have developed a rather interesting set of powers of their own..

Yet, the main question remains throughout the three novels: Did Seldon put humanity on the path is it on right now by changing its fate? Or would humanity have reached the exact same point had Seldon not intervened?

Set as setting (Foundation), conflict (Foundation and Empire) and resolution (Second Foundation), the Foundation Series can be read from various points of view, from the political to the religious, from anthropology to philosophy, from pure science-fiction to an allegory on free-will vs predetermination.

Isaac Asimov is not one the pillars of science-fiction for nothing! The Foundation series will entice young and old! After all, who wouldn’t be intrigued by a character called the Mule… :)

Direct download: inq_ep49.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:24pm EDT